Shoe-fastening



I (No Model.)

CfA. HARVEY.

SHOE FASTENING.

Patented May 3, 1892.

O m m w UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES A. HARVEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HARVEY FASTENING COMPANY, OF NE? JERSEY.

SHOE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,043, .dated May 3, 1892- Application filed July 2, 1891. Serial No. 398,265. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Shoe-Fastenin gs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in shoefastenings; and it consists in the novel features of construction and combin ation of parts, hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe provided with my improved fastening device. Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the parts of said fastening detached. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the fastening shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. i is a plan view of a slightly-modified form of fastening device. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the form of fastening shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail of a part of the fastening shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

In the form of fastening shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 one'flap of the shoe is provided with a row of hooks a, which are secured to an elastic gore B in any desired manner, the gore B being in turn secured to the flap of the shoe at the point 1) some distance back from the edge of the flap. I prefer to provide a plate A, provided with a series of hooks a, and secure said plate to the gore through the intervention of a strip a of leather or other suitable material secured to the plate and gore at back and front of the same, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It is obvious, however, that a row of hooks might be secured independently to the strips of leather a, if desired, without the use of a plate. The hooks aproject through suitable apertures 0', cut in the flap of the shoe, and the portion of the flap O in rear of the hooks a and between them and the edge of the flap forms an overlapping portion 0', which corresponds with the tongue the elastic gore may permit it to assume.

of a shoe and protects the foot of the wearer from coming in contact with the fastening devices. To the opposite flap D of the shoe 1s secured a plate E, provided with a series of slots or recesses e, in line with the hooks to and adapted to be engaged by the same. These openings may be formed by cutting slots in the plate E, as shown in full lines, or recesses, as indicated in dotted, lines in Fig. 2. The plate E is also provided with suitable apertures e, by means of which it may be secured to the flap D.

Instead of the plate E, provided with slots or recesses, I might employ a" series of eyes independently secured to the flap; but the former is my preferred construction. The hooks a are normally held by the elastic gore B in close relation to the apertures in the flap O, through which they project, and the shanks of said hooks are of sufficient length to permit the same to pass backward and forward through said apertures as the elastic gore expands or contracts to adapt the shoe to the foot of the wearer.

One of the flaps C orD is provided with an overlapping facing-strip F, which conceals the fastening device and gives a very finished appearance to the shoe. I have shown the facing-strip attached to the flap D, and 1n order to prevent the said strip from being raised by the bending of the parts in walking or by the clothing striking against the strip I provide one, two, or more retainlngclips G G, as shown in the drawings, which hold the strip down in all the positions WIXfill y preferred form of clip or retaining device may be employed; but I have shown a spring-clip such as is used for many purposes and is of ordinary construction, having the top piece 9, which may be turned up or depressed and held in a horizontal position. I prefer to form the top Q of the retaining-clip with two downwardly-extending portions g adjacent its outer and inner ends, which will hold the facing-strip F down securely whether said strip is engaged by the inner or the outer portion g of the clip. I prefer to employ two of these retaining-clips, as shown in Fig. 1, one located at the top of the shoe and the other about midway of the shoe-fastening.

ICO

When the shoe is being fastened, if it fits tightly the hooks a may be engaged with the recesses or slots e for abouthalf the length of the fastening and the clip Gturned down over the facing-strip. lhis will hold the parts in engagement while the upper portions of the fastening are brought together and secured.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 I have shown a slightlymodified form of fastening. In this case the flap D, instead of being provided with the slotted plate E or a series of eyes, is provided with a series of hooks h, (formed integrally with and projecting from a plate, if desired,) which hooks alternate with the hooks a of the other flap. I prefer to form the hooks integrally with a plate H, as shown in Fig, 6,the said plate having a series of slots or recesses g for the reception of the hooks of the other In order to secure the two parts together against accidental disengagement, a tongue K is slipped between the two rows of hooks, thereby securely locking them together. It will be observed that the hooks of each series engage the tongue K on the side of the latter opposite the flap to which said hooks are secured. The facing-strip F conceals the entire fastening, as in the form before mentioned, and is held down by the retainingclips G, as before described. In both of these forms it will be seen that the hooks a, being secured to the elastic gore B, an elastic fastening device is provided which will adapt itself readily to the size of the foot and exert a gently-elastic pressure, thus rendering the fastening sutiiciently tight at all times and permitting it to yield to accommodate the movements of the foot in walking.

When'it is desired to release the fastening, the clips G are thrown up and the facing-strip raised. The tongue K will then be withdrawn longitudinally and the two sets of hooks disengaged from each other.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact detailsof construction herein described, as

modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fastening for shoes and other articles, consistingof astrip of elastic material secured to one flap of the shoe, a series of hooks connected with the free edge of said elastic strip and projecting through the flap and above the surface of the side of the flap opposite the elastic material, and securing devices adapted to engage the said hooks, and a facing-strip for concealing the fastening devices secured to the other flap of the shoe, substantially as described.

2. A shoe-fastening consisting of a series of hooks secured to one flap on one side of the same through the intervention of a strip of elastic material,saidhooks projecting through said flap and projecting above the surface of the same on the side opposite the elastic material, the opposite flap being provided with securing devices for engaging said hooks, and a facing-strip concealing said hooks and securing devices, and clips secured to the firstnamed flap adapted to engage and retain said facing'strip, substantially as described.

3. A fastening device for adjacent edges of flexible material, consisting of the elastic gore secured to one edge and provided with a row of hooks, the slotted plate secured to the opposing edge and adapted to engage said hooks, the facing-strip for concealing the said devices, and the retaining-clips provided with a portion for engaging the facing-strip,having inwardly-extending portions adjacent its inner and outer ends, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. HARVEY. Witnesses:

ROBERT MOGILL, W. H. ROBERTS. 

